Lock. The. Damn. Doors.

[paramedicmike]

Why is this so hard a concept for people to grasp?

Lock the doors!

[WolfmanHarris]

Agreed. All our vehicles have an anti-theft system that allows the vehicle to idle with the keys removed. I can see it getting more difficult if you don't have that feature and need to worry about climate control on scene, but then a simple fix is two sets of keys (good idea anyways) so that it can be locked with one set in and running and the other set of keys with the crew.

[Dustdevil]

Why is this so hard a concept for people to grasp?

Because EMS is run by these people.

But, ever notice that most of these incidents are with fire departments? Obviously there is an intelligence gap there.

[ambodriver]

...dustdevil shut up already with hating on FDs, its getting old quick.

There are retards in the FD and private services.

and yes lock your doors

[Kiwiology]

Gosh you lock your ambulances?

We don't

[Chief1C]

Make sure your external compartment door locks are lubed with something that doesn't, or can't cause oxidation. WD-40, contains water. We used to lock our compartment doors, however at a wreck during the winter, we found one of the doors couldn't be opened. Road salt had ruined the lock, I find every now and then that doors can't be locked, so I either dip the key in mineral oil or Vaseline, and lock/unlock it a few times.

Mineral Oil is probably better, in a syringe with like a heavy duty needle, like old army surplus hypodermic needles. Or take the lock off and put a gob of Vaseline in there.

[Bernhard]

Our ambulance's central door lock is irreparably damaged for some reason (we bought it used, it already was defective). So the driver has to run around the vehicle when locking it. Looks funny...but we do it, when we leave the car unattended in a crowded area. It's too easy to just get in and catch something more or less randomly.

The new ambulances out of our statewide central ambulance design/purchasing program meanwhile all are with central locks. Here, both crew members have the key.

Some newer ambulances even have the descripted engine idling switch (but, if you ask me, it's rather complicated to remember: something like "press brake, turn key twice when door opened, then draw a dead cat around the cemetry by moonlight"...). If I sometimes manage to think of it, it could be useful, yes.

But when I need the engine running even if I'm not in it, it's usually because I want to have the blue lights on as a warning - and that's mostly on a traffic accident scene where I'm in view range of my ambulance and the public has no real access, so it's OK for me to leave the car unlocked and the key in.

[Just Plain Ruff]

worked in independence missouri a number of years ago(think late 90's). Went to a KC Ks hospital. Were in the er dropping off a patient.

Drove back to indpendence, caught a chest pain call and arrived on scene only to find our monitor and oxygen had been yanked as well as both our pillows.

HAd to call another ambulance.

About 4 weeks later, our manager got a call from a local pawn shop asking if we wanted our cardiac monitor back? He bought the monitor for 200 bucks and I think we bought it back from him.

So yeah, from that day on, I do lock the doors, theres too much paperwork involved.

[HERBIE1]

Used to be an issue with us, but now we have automatic door locks, with the key fob on our key chains.

NO reason to have the rig unlocked now.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Used to be an issue with us, but now we have automatic door locks, with the key fob on our key chains.

NO reason to have the rig unlocked now.

So what do the services without automatic door locks do?

Case in point, on a critical chest pain call, working the patient up and getting ready to go and many of you will send a fireman or first responder to get more oxygen or another piece of equipment. All the doors are locked. The compartments are locked also.

The person finds all the doors locked. Delay in patient care right?

Do the responding agencies know how to unlock your rig?

If they know this then the criminals know too because all they have to do is watch you or someone in your service open the door with the hidden button to unlock and they know now how to rob ya!

So locking the doors is a deterrent but it's not the end all of security.